Single mothers in China are moving in together to ease the financial burden of child-rearing

China – Single mothers in China are moving in together to ease the financial, emotional and practical challenges of raising children alone.

China is home to nearly 30 million single mothers, with divorce as the leading driver. In households where parents separate, only one in six fathers takes custody, leaving 83% of divorced households headed by mothers (source: news.cctv, China Services Info).

Balancing long working hours with rigid school schedules leaves many mothers struggling with ‘time poverty’ and economic insecurity, a new article by Sixth Tone reveals. In response, support groups and online platforms such as Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, have become lifelines.

Posts advertise for ‘roommate moms’ who can share the burden of child-rearing; with parents combining resources while children build sibling-like relationships. This highlights how modern households increasingly no longer fit the nuclear-family mould, with intergenerational living also on the rise across many cultures.

For further insight into how family dynamics are evolving, read more in our Home and Family section.